Metal counter construction



NOV. 3, 1931. A VANDERVELD 1,830,045

METAL COUNTER CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 17, 193()` 3 Sheets-Sheet l la 9'2 y 2 h l5 2.3/

NOV 3, 1931 A. VANDERVELD 1,830,045`

METAL COUNTER CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 17. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2r/lrllll A11107111' l l.. 2 Mge@ Nov. 3, 1931. A. VANDERVELD METALCOUNTER CONSTRUCTION vFiled Sept. 17. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 um) en 01Ozmn Ucmewel Patented Nov. 3, 1931 i UNITED STATES resaca PATENT oEFlcEANTHONY VANDERVELD, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GRAND RAPIDSSTORE EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORA- TIONOF MICHIGAN i METAL COUNTER CONSTRUCTION This invention relates toCounters made of metal and is more particularly concerned with a novel,simple and Very practical and durable counter construction made almostal entirely from sheet metal. At the same time the construction is veryeconomical to produce, may be quickly and easily fabricated and itsparts quickly and easily assembled. It can be shipped in knock down formto l limit the space required in shipment and assembled without the useof skilled labor when it reaches its destination and when assembledpresents a very compact and pleasing appearance without projectionsextend- 16 ing therefrom.

An understanding of the invention for the attainment of the ends statedas well as many others not at this time enumerated may be had from thefollowingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, i

in which,

Fig. l is a perspective view of the counter made in accordance with myinvention looking at the same at the rear thereof.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the counter betweenits front and rear sides, looking toward the open rear side.

Fig. 3' is a vertical transverse sectionthrough the counter.

Figft is a fragmentary horizontal transverse section through one endportion of the counter. V

. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectionsubstantiallycnthe plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical4 section substantially on the'plane of line 6 6 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by thearrows.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal section on the plane of line 7-7 ofFig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged elevation of the lower part of thecounter construction at the rear looking at the same inthe samedirection as in Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a horizontalsection on the plane of line 9-9 of Fig. 8, and iFig. l0 is a verticalxsection on the plane of line 10-10 of Fig. 9looking in the direction indicated.

Application filed September 17, 1930. Serial Nc. 482,454.

`of the counter, the metal is bent at right angles making a face section4 which extends inwardly from its end 2 of the counter for a distance,is then bent back upon itself Vas indicated at 5, substantially one-halfthe width of the section 4, then turned again at right angles, as at 6,and then again bent back upon itself as at 7 whereby there is in effectprovided a T-bar section at the rear. edge of each of the ends 2 of thecounter.v This strengthens and reinforces the same materially andprovides a means for connecting the lower securing and reinforcingmembers at the rear of the counter as will be hereafter described; alsofor the rear upper supporting and reinforcing members.

At the upper corners of the counter construction and extendinglongitudinally between the same are angle bars having verti- `caldepending flanges 8 and horizontal anges 9. The horizontal fianges attheir ends are bent downwardly to provide ears 10. The angle bar supportadjacent the front of the counter has its vertical flange 8 lyingagainst the rear side of the front 1 and the ears 10 bear against theinner side of the ends 2. At the rear part of the counter there are twoof the angle bar supports, one end ear 10 of each bearing against th-einner sides of the sections 6 ofthe T-construction described, while theother ends thereof engage with a vertical T-bar whichwill be hereafterdescribed as to its location and construction. Blocks 11 of metal lieagainst the inner sides of the ears 10 and against the outer sides ofthe parts against whichl said ears bear and screws 12 pass therethrough,threading into one of the blocks 11 A(see Figs and 7), which serves as abinding nut therefor, firmly securing the angle bar supports in place.

The upper sides of the horizontal iianges 9 of said angle bar supportsare in the same plane with the upper edges of the front 1 and ends 2 ofthe counter. A sheet metal top 1s provided having a horizontal topsection 13 at the edges of which are depending flanges 141 terminatingin inwardly extending lips 15. rllie top is of sufficient size that itcoinpletely covers and extends beyond the front and ends of the counterand also the face sections Il of the T-members at the rear, the inturnedlips 15 coming closely adjacent thereto. The top is detachably securedin place in any suitable manner the particular detail ot which is nopart of this invention and is therefore not shown or described.

At the rear open side of the counter a vertical post in the form of aT-bar, (previously noted), is located substantially midway between thetwo ends. This post has a rear tace flange 1G and a forwardly extendingtongue 17. It is against this tongue 17 that thc adjacent ends ot thetwo upper angle bars at the rear ot the counter bear and through whichthe screw 12 passes. rl`he blocks 11 which bear against the ears 10 atthe ends ot the angle bar supports are of a size to substantially coverthe entire inner sides of said ears and are rigid so that there is nolikelihood of the metal of the ears bending due to any strains put onthe counter, as the blocks 11 bearing thereagainst hold the same snuglyagainst the tongue 17 of the T- bar described and against the tonguesections 6 and 7 of the T-p0rtions at the rear corners of the counter.

At the rear side ot the counter and at its lower portion channel membersof sheet metal are located between the central T-bar and the endT-sections described. There are two of these channel bars, each having avertical web 18 and forwardly turned flanges 19. The flanges extendbeyond the ends ot the webs 18, each of said webs at its ends beingformed with an inturned lip 2O to bear against the edges ot the faceflange 16 of the central T-bar, and against the bends between sections 4and 5 where the saine are bent back upon each other. This makes theouter sides of the webs 18 lie substantially flush with the outer sidesot' the sections 4 and the iiange 16. v

'lvhe flanges 19 ot the channel members are each formed with an ear 21turned at right angles to lie against the tongues 17 and the inner sidesof the sections 6 described. Vertical bars 22 of metal extend betweenthe upper and lower flanges 19 of the channel meinbers at each end andcover the ears 21 thereof and screws 28 pass through said ears andthrough the tongues 17 and the sectie-ns 6 and 7, as shown in 9 tothereby securely connect the parts together and preclude any bending orgiving of the sheet metal tongues 21 under strains to which the countermay be subjected in use.

The counter construction described is, as is evident, open at its rearside and space under neath the top may be used to hold articles ofmerchandise on shelves 24;, a plurality of which may be supported in thespace. The way that the shelves are supported is no part of the presentinvention, the shelf supports being subject matter ot a separateapplication for patent. r)She construction is one of a very practicalnature. rEhe parts are readily fabricated and easily assembled with theuse ot only a screw driver to drive the screws 12 ad 23. The sheet metalparts may be made of relatively light gauge sheet metal but all sheetmetal parts at all free edges thereof are strengthened and reinforced byintnrned flanges and T-bar sections as dis# closed.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be consideredcomprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

l claim:

1. In a counter construction a vertical front and two spaced apartparallel vertical ends of sheet metal, horizontal supporting barsextending between said ends and having upper sides thereof insubstantially the same planev with the upper edges and said front andends, said bars being located between the rear portions or said ends andalso closely adjacent the front, and elongated channel members located'between said ends at their lower rear por tions and connected thereto. Y

2. A counter' construction comprisinga vertical tront and vertical endslocated at right angles to the front and extending rearward-` lytheretrom, horizontal supporting bars .located between said ends attheir upper rear corners, a vertical post located midway between thesaid ends and between said supporting bars, said supporting bars beingconnected to the upper end ot' the post and to said ends of the counterconstruction, and channel members ot sheet metal located between andconnected to the lower end of said post and 'the lower corner portionsof said ends ot t-he counter.

i A counter construction including, a vcrtical front and vertical endsof sheet metal, said ends being located at right angles to and extendingrearwardly from the front, the rear edge portions of said ends beingbent inwardly tor a distance forming a tace section then bent baclr uponitself a distance equal to substantially onehalf the width of said facesection, then bent forwardly at right angles tor a distance then backupon itselt whereby a vertical T-member is formed at the rear edge ofeach end of the counter, a vertical post loca-ted substantially midwaybetween the said ends and at the rear portion of the counter,

angle bars extending between the upper ends of the post and the inwardlyextending tongues of said T-member, channels between the lower ends ofthe posts and said T-members, and means for detachably securing thechannels thereto, as specified.

4. A counter construction comprising a vertical front of sheet metal andintegral vertical ends extending rearwardly therefrom and at rightangles thereto, the rear vertical edges of each of said ends being bentinwardly then back upon itself, thence forwardly and then back uponitself, to provide vertical T-members having forwardly extendingtongues, a vertical post of T-form having a forwardly extending tonguelocated at the rear portion of the counter between said ends, supportingbars extending between and connected at their ends to the tongues ofsaid T- members at the upper ends thereof, and sheet metal channelmembers extending between and connected to the tongues of said T-membersat their lower end portions.

5. A construction containing the elements in combination defined inclaim 4, said upper supporting bars being of angle form each having ahorizontal upper flange and a downwardly vertical extending flange andhaving an ear turned from one of said flanges at each end to lie againstsaid tongues of the'T-members, blocks of metal located against saidears, screws passing through said blocks and ears and tongues and nutsthreading on to the ends of the screws, said blocks being ofsubstantially the same area as said ears, for the purpose specified.

6. A construction containing the elements in combination defined inclaim 4, each of said channels having a vertical rear web and forwardlyextending horizontal fianges, said webs terminating short of the ends ofsaid flanges and having forwardly turned lips bearing against the edgesof the adjacent flanges of said T-members, ears turned vertically atright angles from the ends of said. flanges of the channel members lyingagainst the tongues of said T-members, vertical bars extending betweenand covering the ears at the ends of each channel member and also theouter sides of the tongues of the T-members formed on the ends of saidcounter, and screws passing through said tongues of the T-members, saidears, and one of said bars threading into openings in the other of said55 bars, as described.

A counter construction comprising a vertical front and ends made from asingle plate of sheet metal, said ends being turned rearwardly at rightangles to said front, hori- 60 Zontal supporting bars lying between'said ends at spaced apart points and detachably connected thereto, avertical post disposed at the rear portion of the counter vconstructionsubstantially midway between the rear 55 edge portions of said endsthereof to which

